Cre'Von LeBlanc finds a home in Eagles' secondary

Cre’Von LeBlanc joined a middling Eagles team last month without much fanfare.

Such is the case with any player that most fans are unfamiliar with.

Awarded off waivers on Nov. 5, the 24-year old was brought in with hopes he could help stabilize an Eagles’ secondary that has been ravaged by injuries for most of the season.

The well-traveled cornerback’s path to Philadelphia has been littered with obstacles, however.

After finding himself on the outside looking in as the 2016 NFL Draft drew to a close, LeBlanc signed a free agent deal with the New England Patriots. Despite being among the team’s final cuts following an awe-inspiring preseason in which he notched 12 tackles (ten solo), and an interception, the Chicago Bears claimed the former Florida Atlantic standout off waivers.

LeBlanc played in thirteen games as a rookie, including nine starts. He recorded his first career interception on Dec. 11, 2016, taking a Matt Stafford pass 24-yards the other way for a score. LeBlanc played in 28 games over two seasons in the Windy City, tallying 61 tackles, one sack, 13 passes defended, two interceptions and one touchdown. LeBlanc appeared to have a role on Vic Fangio’s defense, even with new head coach Matt Nagy and his staff joining the storied franchise last January.

A new coaching regime can often yield change, however, and LeBlanc became a casualty on cutdown day. Intrigued by his potential, the Detroit Lions opted to sign the third-year corner to their practice squad. The Lions promoted LeBlanc to the active roster on Oct. 6, and waived him on Nov. 3 after playing in three games.

Given the depleted state of their secondary, the Eagles jumped at the chance to add a player with a ceiling as high as LeBlanc’s, midway through the season.

In his first game with his new team, LeBlanc played six snaps on special teams against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. LeBlanc saw extensive action the following week against the New Orleans Saints, in a game that Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas were forced to exit the game prematurely due to injury. Against future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, LeBlanc allowed two catches for 24 yards, and played 44 snaps on defense, primarily operating as the team’s nickel corner.

The following week wouldn’t get much easier, however, with Odell Beckham, Sterling Shepard, Evan Ingram and Saquon Barkley coming to Lincoln Financial Field.

Playing 45 snaps, primarily as the third corner, LeBlanc held his own against a formidable Giants’ receiving corps. In fact, LeBlanc only allowed two catches on four targets for 48 yards in a must-win divisional bout, but it was his play in the waning moments that prompted fans to pay attention to the scrappy corner.

On 3rd-and-4 from the Eagles’ 11-yard line, Eli Manning appeared to identify a mismatch pre-snap: LeBlanc against the ultra-talented Odell Beckham Jr.

Predictably, Manning looked for Beckham in the end zone for the go-ahead score, but LeBlanc broke up the pass — forcing a game-tying field goal.

“For me, it’s a dream come true,” LeBlanc said after the game. “He’s phenomenal. … I fear no man. At the end of the day, line up, he puts his pants on, I put my pants on and we’re gonna play ball.”

LeBlanc followed up his gutsy performance by starting the next three games against Washington, Dallas and Los Angeles at nickel corner. The ascending corner played 34, 71 and 74 snaps in those contests, respectively.

In perhaps the biggest test of his three-year career for multiple reasons, LeBlanc helped to hold an explosive Rams’ receiving corps to rather pedestrian totals. The entire secondary rose to the occasion with the season on the line, failing to surrender a touchdown through the air on Sunday night. LeBlanc was very active, contesting balls and challenging the catch point, working through traffic to make tackles and diagnosing the intricate formations that the Rams like to utilize.

LeBlanc has consistently improved each week, and it’s been his play in the slot that allowed Jim Schwartz the flexibility to deploy the versatile Avonte Maddox as an outside corner against the Rams.

Against the red-hot Houston Texans, LeBlanc figures to see a lot of former Eagle DeAndre Carter in the slot. Carter is a shifty receiver that utilizes his short-area quickness to create yards after the catch. LeBlanc will have his work cut out for him on Sunday afternoon in another must-win game.

Discarded by two teams this year, it’s become evident that the Eagles have discovered a treasure in LeBlanc.

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